President Donald Trump's July 4 celebration is using $2.5 million of National Park Service funds to help cover costs, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Trump's "Salute to America" transferred the funds from the Park Service on Tuesday, according to two Post sources.
The Fourth of July celebration on the National Mall has historically cost the agency about $2 million, former Park Service deputy director Denis P. Galvin told the Post.
Critics of Trump's plans have objected to the politicization of the event. If the president refers to some of the 2020 presidential hopefuls, or polling related to the race, his reelection campaign may have to reimburse the U.S. Treasury since federal appropriations law prohibits using public money for political purposes, per the Post.
"We've never seen anything like this," Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., told the Post. "No ticketed political event should be paid for with taxpayer dollars."
The Post reported the Republican National Committee and Trump's re-election campaign confirmed they received VIP passes from the administration to distribute for the event.
"As a courtesy, the campaign was provided tickets for staff and their families and friends, much like for the Easter Egg Roll or White House garden tours," Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh wrote in an email to the Post.
The Post said the White House directed questions on the event to the Department of Interior, which declined to comment.
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